Anyone have any advice for me on leaking masks? I have purchased 2 masks so far - thats $110 later, and I still am having a problem with my mask leaking and getting it 100% cleared. The instructor has checked my 'fit' the normal way out of water, and the mask stays on w/NO leaks with just a slight inhalation - NO air is getting past it - put my reg in my mouth - differant story. I use a neoprene slap strap. Once in the water though, it leaks slightly. Note: I DO NOT have any facial hair that would be a problem. I have a very narrow face for an adult, I am a 141# male. Any advice? I don't want to kepp buying *new* masks!

How much is it leaking? With all masks you will get a bit of water under your nose. The more you dive you will get used to it sitting there.
Look at yourself in the mirror when you try it on. Do you have large laugh lines? If so the water could be leaking in there. Flaten them out and try not to smile when you are under the water
If that dosen't help try a mask with purge like the OceanMaster Z2. With this mask all you have to do is exhale through your nose and the water goes out the purge valve.
Good luck

Hi there,
Unfortunatley a bit of leaking is going to happen no matter what with any mask. The reason your mask is leaking more when you put your regulator in your mouth is probably because you smile lines. Try to keep as stiff of an upper lip as you can while diving and lower your jaw to put the regulator in. This should keep the accentuation of smile lines to a minimum and thus keep the leaking down to a minimum. I would reccommend trying this before you go out and purchase yet another new mask.

Thanks all.....its not leaking THAT much - but enough that its annoying.....must be the regulator - as its bone dry until I get into like Buddy Breathing exercises, etc. that require a lot of upper lip movement....when I do the 'inhale' test out of the water with NO strap on - its stays right there w/no air getting past.....thanks all!

Couple of ideas. One of the most common problems that I see is that people tend to overtighten their masks. This squats out the inner seal and makes any mask leak a little (sometimes a lot). An indication of this is whether you have any mask lines on your face when you finish a dive. If so, loosen it on both sides and give it another try. It doesn't have to be real tight. In fact, for me, what's loose enough for diving is too loose for snorkeling. It will obviously become tighter as you go deeper. I have a bunch of facial hair so my mask always leaks a little but a technique that I use that keeps it clear is to exhale a little through my nose on every breath out. Once you become used to it, you never have any water to speak of in your mask. One last idea: try positioning your mask differently, up and down. On many people, they leak if they're right against the nose but not if they're a little lower. Good luck..tom

On re-reading your post about the regulator, it leads me to think it's the up and down positioning. I'd play with that at 30-40' and would guess you'll solve your problem..tom